Electrical hinge-contact



No. 615,209. Patented Nov. 29, I898.

C. BAXTER.

ELECTRICAL HINGE CONTACT.

(Application filed Nov. 21, 1895. Renewed Jan 17, 189B) (No-Model.)

Fig. 1

74277235626: Inventor.-

UNITED STATES PATENT Optics.

OHANNING BAXTER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO ALBERT S. DE VEAU, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK.

ELECTRICAL HINGE-CONTACT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 615,209, dated November 29, 1898. Application filed November 21, 1895. Renewed January 17, 1898. Serial No. 667,003- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHANNING BAXTER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, (Brooklyn,) in the county of Kings and State of New York, haveinvented a certain new and useful Electrical Hinge-Contact, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for insuring a perfect contact or connection between parts of an electric circuit connected, respectively, to a swinging door and the part on which the door is swung-as, for instance, between the parts of the circuit connected to apparatus within a case and other apparatus or mechanism mounted upon the swinging door or cover to the case.

In various apparatus, particularly in telephone apparatus, it is convenient and often necessary to mount some parts thereof upon the door ofthe cabinet, case, or box containin g the apparatus and to make electrical connections from said parts to those within the box. To connect a circuit through the hinges is seldom satisfactory, and to obviate any danger of imperfect contact various supplemental connections have been associated with hinges for passing the current from apparatus on the cover to apparatus in the boX. a simple and efficient means to accomplish this end; and my invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter'fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 indicates a face View of a hinge on an enlarged scale and showing my construction and arrangement of electrical contacts when associated with the hinge. Fig. 2 represents a section thereof, taken-on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents the parts seen in Fig. 2 in the position assumed when the hinge is closed. Fig. 4 represents the circuit connections when used independently of the hinges.

A indicates one flap or leaf of a hinge, here shown as secured to the cover, while B indicates the other flap as secured to the box. Under the flap A, I may and preferably do locate a strip 0 of thin s'pring metal, the end of which follows the roll of said flap through I have devised the space provided therefor in the flap B and curves over said roll, as clearly indicated. This strip may be no wider than the portion of the roll over which it is curved, or it may be considerably wider and have a tongue formed thereon, which shall follow said roll, or it may be made the full size or larger than the leaf of the hinge and have one or more tongues cut thereon and following the several rolls of said leaf in the manner indicated in connection with the middle one. Under the flap B, I locate another strip of metal D, which may or may not be of spring metal, the purpose of which is simply to touch and make rubbing contact with the curved end of the piece 0. The curved end of piece 0, as indicated in Fig. 3, is extended to such a point that when the hinge is closed its end will still project through the opening in the flap B. The resiliency of this curved portion insures perfect and continuous contact with the end of the piece D. If necessary, the opening between the rolls of flap B may be enlarged to give more space to the curved end of the piece C; but as a general rule the hinges or butts as manufactured furnish a sufficient space without any further enlargement. These pieces 0 and D, I have shown located under the hinge, as indicated, and secured to the material of the box, though I may obviously solder or otherwise secure them to the fiaps of the hinge. I may also, as indicated in Fig.

4, locate the circuit connections or contacts O and D independently of the hinges, they being .placed, as before, upon the body and cover of the box and screwed directly thereto, one of the screws thereof being used, as at E in Figs. 1 and 2, for a binding-screw. When thus located, the axis of the spring-roll on the part 0 is located practically in line with the axes of the hinges, so that a good rubbing contact is insured between it and the piece D. Said piece D may also be of spring metal and have a bias toward said roll. The location of the contacts 0 and D may be reversed from that described and they may also be considerably changed in size and form. They may also be used upon doors in burglar-alarm systems and in other analogous places.

What I claim as my invention is 1. The combination with the body and swinging cover of a cabinet or box and the hinges thereof, of a fiat contact-plate located upon the box, and a contact-plate located upon the cover of the box and having a springroll whose axis is substantially in alinement with the hinge-pintles, said roll being in constant engagement with the flat plate, substantially as shown and described.

2. In an electrical connection for the purpose described, the combination witha hinge and the parts to which it is attached, of a spring-contact connected to one of said parts and having its end curved over the roll of the hinge-flap connected to said part and another contact connected to the other one of said 

